Thursday, April 10:
Loldi’s birthday, and this year Maundy Thursday. I wanted to go to Communion, but my foot prevented it, so I communed alone.
A sentence in Luther’s Bible in which the Greek word barbaros is translated as “un-German” gives us great joy. A book, Megalissus’s The Un-German Catholics, edifies us much through its earnestness and naivety. We are also informed that men have been living on the earth for a million years. We read the last scene of Calderon’s El médico de su honra and discuss Elective Affinities and the topic “What is German?” In short, we touched on many subjects.
In the evening Feustel comes, and the conversation takes a different turn. He tells us about the massive emigrations from Germany to America, the rough treatment of soldiers by their noncommissioned officers; many worrying things come to light. R. observes that, until France is put under European guardianship, we shall never get a sensible administration, since the burden all these armies represent must stay as it is, whereas one could otherwise introduce the sensible militia system of the Swiss.
Preparations for the birthday keep me fully occupied, but there are great difficulties, and I fear I might not be able to arrange it!